The project

Referring to the unofficial twinnings that reflect Berlin’s current immigrant population instead of the official equivalents of the city, the project explores the city’s long tradition of urban horticulture and reveals ideas of health in the widest sense: as balance and imbalance as well as on a societal and personal level, looking at how people navigate and share resources within a city.

venerdì 1 aprile 2011

Cultivations at kga in Treptow

Bezirksverband der Gartenfreunde Berlin-Treptow e.V. from S-bahn

woman: You wanted to do some research... It’s best to arrange an appointment with Mr. Landgraf, he is here on tuesdays, but could you please call the office beforehand...

giulia: Can you help me with some general questions, please?

woman: I can only answer questions about plots, in terms of allocation.

giulia: Fine, what’s being cultivated in a plot?

woman: Plots are always being cultivated. Gardening is the key purpose of allotments. The main concern is cultivating fruits and vegetables. You need to grow fruits etc. for your personal use. However, as I said, Mr. Landgraf is the right person to speak to, he also works here, but is currently out of office. He is the Chairman of e.V. Treptow.

giulia: Do you also have an allotment?

woman: Yes of course, I have an allotment in Treptow.

giulia: And what do you cultivate?

woman: What do we cultivate... the majority makes potatoes, soft fruits, strawberries etc..

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Ilona Gross: All herbs, basil, parsley, chives, marjoram, ground herb and as first thing green beans are inserted, green beens are made a lot. When they are inserted, it depends on how warm it is, end of April or beginning of May. Kohlrabi plants are grown with seeds in greenhouse, than the small plants are planted end of april, beginning of may. Tomatoes, carrots, all kind of vegetables, peppers, zucchini.

giulia: How are herbs used?

ilona: Yes herbs, for example, parsley for almost all dishes, and for soups, ground herb for green beans soup, it’s important.

giulia: Is there anything special for health?

ilona: Yes, garlic is for health.

giulia: Do you have your own parcel?

ilona: Yes I do.

giulia: What do you cultivate?

ilona: Everything I said, basil also as spice. And important is savory.

giulia: What is savory?

ilona: It smells like green beans, it’s very powerful, that must be used otherwise food doesn’t taste.

giulia: do you have a recipe?

ilona: I made a book actually. It has been made from women in the allotment garden unit Waldland.

It’s collected recipes.

Many allotment holder make themselves a spice garden, a raised bed, and there they make their spice garden. When they can not bend themselves anymore they make raised beds.

giulia: Asparagus time?

ilona: It’s always just until june, end of april until june. But asparagus is difficult to grow, just few gardners do it. Broccoli and cauliflower is the easiest. And what more…

Celery is very healthy, do you know celery? It’s round and black. And what we also make is salad with vinaigrette sauce, that is sweet sour spicy. Celery and also one makes beetroot, beetroot is very healthy. And they are also washed and cooked in salt and water and of course with sugar, vinegar, and pepper.

giulia: Why is it healthy?

ilona: Yes, for blood, hematopoiesis. One ha salso to read this again but I now from granny and my mom that this is healty.

giulia: Is there a tradition for vegetables in berlin?

ilona: Yes, pumpkin for example exactly, for soups, for kompottes, it is boiled down…

giulia: Kompotte?

ilona: Yes it’s called kompotte. Chopped Pumpkin , for dessert or one can eat it with meat dishes or the pumpkin soup as appetizer, it’s very good. I give you my book as a present, here you see some dishes...

giulia: What is from you?

ilona: A lot, there is my name here, but these are collected recipes, that one can make also at home. For example stuffed zucchini are made a lot, or vegetables onions, vegetable cake, stuffed kohlrabi...

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Informazioni personali

Referring to the unofficial twinnings that reflect Berlin’s current immigrant population instead of the official equivalents of the city, the project explores the city’s long tradition of urban horticulture and reveals ideas of health in the widest sense: as balance and imbalance as well as on a societal and personal level, looking at how people navigate and share resources within a city.